Latest on Maddiston Primary School repairs as education chief gives news on next session

The news means that pupils and staff at Maddiston Primary will not be back in their classrooms for the start of the new school session as hoped.

A massive repair project is underway after attempts to repair storm damaged caused in January uncovered a number of huge defects in the building which had only opened 17 years ago at a cost of £9 million.

While a team of engineers and project managers is in place, developing a plan to restore the school, and further specialist advisors will soon be appointed to support this process, parents and carers have been told that is is “highly unlikely” the work will be complete by August as initially hoped.

In a letter from director of education Jon Reid, he said that while it looks like not much is happening at the school, “a great deal of work is taking place behind the scenes”.

He added that while initially it had been hoped to have the work complete for August “as investigations have progressed, it has become increasingly clear that it is highly unlikely that the school will be able to reopen in August”.

The director added that education officials are “actively considering a number of different scenarios for the start of the new school year”, promising that a priority is clarity for continuity for children, families and staff.

He said this work was based around transition for new Primary 1 pupils, supporting learners with additional needs, and preparing new class groupings and potential locations.

Currently around 500 pupils and almost 50 staff are in several different locations around the district, with pupils being transported to schools by bus where needede.

These arrangements see primaries one, two and three at Wallacestone Primary; primaries four, five and six at Bantaskin Primary; pupils in primary seven at Braes High School; and youngsters in the ASL Timezone and P1BM at Carrongrange High and Moray Primary.

However, the letter sent to parents and carers doesn’t confirm if these locations will continue for the new session.

Mr Reid promised to share the details for next session with the school community “well ahead of the summer holidays to allow plenty of time for preparation”.

In his letter he said: “Since the school decanted, substantial sections of the external wall have been removed to allow structural engineers to carry out detailed inspections. These have confirmed substantial defects in the original construction.”

He said the massive repair job is still to go out to tender but the council will ensure that the “right contractor is appointed to deliver the complex repairs required”.

The director went on to thank parents and carers for their continued support.

Maddiston Primary was initially closed for several days in February but when the scale of the work needed was uncovered, a huge decant project swung into action to empty the building of resources to locate pupils and staff elsewhere.

Falkirk Council’s chief executive Kenneth Lawrie has also asked for a detailed inquiry into the defects, as well as schools of similar construction and “built in the same era” being surveyed “as a precaution”.

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